Local hip-hop artist Josh “After Schock” Schock is renaming October “Schock-tober.” Schock’s baritone voice and suave verbal flow make him one of the Azalea City’s most innovative verbalists. His style can be best experienced through his fifth studio album, “Thunderground: Vol. 1.” Schock entered the studio with Josh Daigrepont and Brian Graves to lay down the tracks for this release. As far as beat contributions, A-Twist (Aaron Hoffman), CStubbs (Chris Stubblefield) and Graves laid out the rhythms for Schock’s flow on the album. Schock also brought his little brother, J.J. Schock, into the studio to record vocals on the track “Special,” which Schock wrote for his brother.

Judging from the list of special guests, After Schock’s release party could be quite the affair. After Schock has recruited a live band to accompany him featuring members of Mob Towne Revival and Phunk Blue Moon. Aydee from local hip-hop collective Microphone Messengers will be making an appearance as well. After the After Schock, Chad Davidson Trio (also featuring members of Mob Towne Revival) will keep the party going into the wee hours.

About The Author

With the exception of two years spent at Auburn University, Steve Centanni has spent his life in Mobile County while focusing on his two passions: music and the written word. As soon as he was issued his driver’s license, Centanni began to explore the local music scene in the early ‘90s.
He filled his weekend with visits classic local venues such as the Four Strong Winds Coffee House, Vincent Van Go-Go’s and Culture Shock, all of which welcomed those who had yet to reach 18. After high school, Centanni traded Mobile for Auburn to complete his B.A. in English with an emphasis on general writing.
While at Auburn, he had the honor of studying under the Pulitzer-winning poet Natasha Trethewey, who served as the nation’s Poet Laureate in 2012 and 2014. After receiving his diploma, Centanni quickly moved back to Mobile and completed the University of South Alabama’s graduate program with a M.Ed. Eventually, he was tapped by the nationally distributed Volume Entertainment Magazine to serve as the magazine’s managing editor/senior writer.
His time with Volume allowed him to exercise his love for both music and writing. As Volume began to fade, Lagniappe recruited Centanni as their Music Writer and later their Music Editor, where he has remained for a little over a decade.
As far as his involvement in the local music scene, Centanni organized Cess Fest at the Langan Park, which was a mini-festival focused on original local music in a time when original local music was veritably taboo in Downtown Mobile. For a short time, he brought original music to Downtown Mobile as the in-house promoter for the now deceased venue Cell Block. He managed local underground powerhouse Fry Cook, until the members parted ways. Centanni has lent his bass to bands such as Keychain Pistol and The F’n A-Holes, and he toured nationally as a member of Abstract Artimus & the Torture Children.
Currently, he provides vocals for the garage blues rock outfit Johnny No. Ultimately, Centanni’s experience in the local music scene as both a participant and an observer has allowed him to witness the ever-changing persona of Mobile’s enigmatic music scene, which continues to leave him with more questions than answers.